PT HD 11 clean install, no video playback

[Dolly]

Hi,

I'm doing a clean install on a new iMac but can't get video to run at all.

Here is the setup:

iMac 5k retina 4 GHz, 32Gb ram,1tb ssd, 4Gb video, Yosemite.
PT HD 11.3.1
HDX 1
HD i/o 8x8x8x
Magma Expressbox 3t
BM Intensity Pro pcie

Protools runs, but when trying to load any session with video, it says it can't, and this might be due to a missing codec.


The videos are Photo Jpegs that used to run fine on my old PT HD 10.3 setup with the same hardware (except for the iMac).
I read that Photo Jpeg performance with PT 11 is poor, but I thought I would still be able to load them (it's going to be hell to convert the video every time when revisiting old projects). Should they play?

I have installed the codec pack, the BM Desktop video 10.3.7, and updated the Intensity driver.

I have installed and enabled Video Playback Engine.

Is there a specific setting that needs to be chosen from the video output settings?


I would love to know which codec is working for you guys. Prores 422 proxy or DNxHD?

In the rock solid PT 10 setup I used to convert everything to a 720p 25fps Photo Jpeg with Compressor. I had sessions with up to 20 episodes of 40 minutes on the timeline with zero problems.

I would need a similar way to convert all different kinds of video files to one codec that will definately work. Are you using Compressor, Mpeg Streamclip or something else?

99% of the stuff we do is 25fps, with the 24fps project once or twice a year. 1080p would be ideal.

Appreciate the help!

[Chief Technician]

Originally Posted by Dolly

I would love to know which codec is working for you guys. Prores 422 proxy or DNxHD?

ProRes 422 for 98% of our work, DNxHD for 1%, and people taking their chances with H.264 for the other 1%.

Originally Posted by Dolly

Are you using Compressor, Mpeg Streamclip or something else?

Compressor.

[danijel]

I just recently had a horrible experience with taking projects from HD10 to HD11 that had PhotoJPEG 720p videos. On my current setup (Windows7), the only way to get the video engine to work is to use exclusively DNxHD MXF files in projects that have never had a MOV in them. If I just delete the MOV and import MXF, there will be all kinds of issues. But if I make a new project, import all audio tracks from the old project, and then import the new MXF, everything works. So maybe try that, although it seems like everyone is having unique experiences with the video engine.

[MatzeHD]

DNXHD works best with Protools or for SD projects the DV codec!

[Dolly]

Thanks for the replies!

I had to go back to the old setup to do some urgent work, will try again later this week. I will try converting some of my videos to Prores 422 Proxy and creating a fresh session to try them. If they work, I'll just have to import everything but the video tracks from the old projects.

I will let you know how it turns out.

[Bashkii]

Can anybody please help me in this serious problem?

I just installed Ptools version 11.3.1 and Yosemite 10.10.2
Every time I import a QuickTime movie I get a message telling me that :" I may have a missing CODEC" . Also sometimes it asks me if I want the video engine "enabled". In fact it IS enabled!!

I trashed preferences and checked permissions. To no avail.

What possible CODEC would I need? I import H264 QuickTime movies but no other movies are ever opened either . At the most it will show the movie track with black frames in it.

This is my system:
Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac9,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 8 GB
Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version: IM91.008D.B08
SMC Version (system): 1.37f3

Hardware UUID: CDEBBFFA-3A09-58EB-A014-55F835500CD7


I really appreciate your help!

Al (Bashkii)

[Chief Technician]

Originally Posted by Bashkii

What possible CODEC would I need? I import H264 QuickTime movies but no other movies are ever opened either .

H.264, while supported, is not desirable. Do you have the means to create a .mov file with either the Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD codec?

Originally Posted by Bashkii

This is my system:
Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac9,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 8 GB

That is a 2009 iMac. I think you have the maximum amount of RAM installed. Even so, you do not have enough RAM for optimally working with video. Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite wants at least 2 GB of RAM for itself. Pro Tools v11.x wants at least 4 GB of RAM for itself. If you are working with video in Pro Tools v11.x, you need to have another 4 GB of RAM for the video engine.

2 + 4 + 4 = 10. You are 2 GB of RAM short. I think you need to consider paring down your Pro Tools session to the minimum number of tracks and plug-ins, and quit all other applications when using Pro Tools. Even this might not be enough to give you acceptable performance when working with video.

[Bashkii]

Thanks for your reply.
I have everything else closed when working with Protools. And I have only one audio track open.The thing is, it doesn't even open the movies . I am attaching the error message.

Also, as you suggested, I have converted video H264 and/or DV into the Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD codec with QuickTime Pro 7. It gives me the same error with the DNXHD codec and the Apple ProRes WHEN it imports it the frames show black,no image. And the second time gives me the codec error.I have tried it in a fresh new session and it's the same.

I have been scouting the forums and this appears to be a persistent problem among users. Avid says that this was fixed in version 11.3. I upgraded to 11.3.1 thinking it would be fixed but it's not the case.

Do you really think it's solely a memory problem?

I appreciate any other advice you could give me.

Al

=================================================

Originally Posted by Chief Technician

H.264, while supported, is not desirable. Do you have the means to create a .mov file with either the Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD codec?



That is a 2009 iMac. I think you have the maximum amount of RAM installed. Even so, you do not have enough RAM for optimally working with video. Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite wants at least 2 GB of RAM for itself. Pro Tools v11.x wants at least 4 GB of RAM for itself. If you are working with video in Pro Tools v11.x, you need to have another 4 GB of RAM for the video engine.

2 + 4 + 4 = 10. You are 2 GB of RAM short. I think you need to consider paring down your Pro Tools session to the minimum number of tracks and plug-ins, and quit all other applications when using Pro Tools. Even this might not be enough to give you acceptable performance when working with video.

[minister]

You have to have the codecs installed in order to use them. ProRes doesn't automatically come on a computer. Did you download and install the Avid Codecs from your account? ...just a thought....

[Dolly]

Bashkii,

Try renaming the video file to a simple name with no special characters.
A colleague suggested this to my problem (exact same as yours but on a newer machine). Haven't had the chance try it myself yet, let me know how it goes!